Monthly Archives: April 2012
Flash Movie Review: The Long, Long Trailer
No matter what you call the two stars of this comedy, they will always be Lucy and Desi aka Ricky. At the height of their careers with the “I Love Lucy” television series, director Vincente Minnelli (Meet Me in St. Louis, An American in Paris) directed them and let these two stars do the thing they do best–physical comedy, in this classic movie. Lucille Ball (Yours, Mine and Ours; I Love Lucy-TV) as Tacy Bolton-Collini and Desi Arnaz (Holiday in Havana, I Love Lucy-TV) as her newlywed husband Nicholas ‘Nicky’ Collini go on their honeymoon via a road trip, towing their recently bought mobile home trailer. With Lucy and Desi, one should not expect intense drama. This film was full of wonderful comedic scenes; it could easily be mistaken for a longer “I Love Lucy” episode. And frankly that was perfectly okay. Remember this film was done in the 1950’s before our lives were overtaken with electronic gadgets; where seeing the country by car was exciting and in my opinion, people were more innocent. I remember watching this fun film some years ago and I still laughed when I watched it now on DVD. Part of Lucy’s greatness was her precise comedic timing. Also, her willingness to fully throw herself into each comedic scene was nothing short of brilliant. For me, there are certain movies that remain timeless; this would be one of those films.
3 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Brooklyn’s Finest
If there was a crack in a building’s foundation, the more weight added would only widen the crack, I would think. In regards to human character, if there was a fracture in one’s moral character; what would happen to them if they were put under extra pressure? This was a question I pondered as I watched this action film about three New York policemen. Each one was broken in some way; I just did not know if they were already broken by the time they joined the police force or if the force pushed them into their current state of mind. The grittiness and rawness of these officers was perfectly played by Richard Gere (Nights in Rodanthe, Pretty Woman), Don Cheadle (Hotel Rwanda, Iron Man 2) and Ethan Hawke (Training Day, Gattaca). In fact, the acting was what made this movie worth watching. The story followed each officer as they did whatever they could to get out from under their personal demons. Richard as Eddie had to get through one final week before retirement; Don as Tango was being consumed by his undercover job and Ethan as Sal was frantic to get his hands on any cash, by any means. Each one’s struggle was leading them to a deeper desperateness. I had a hard time believing some of the scenarios in this crime film. I mean, not all police officers wind up disillusioned, do they? Without a strong script, I also found this film choppy in places and sadly, the excellent acting got wasted in this movie.
2 1/2 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: The Cabin in the Woods
For those of you who have known me for some time, you must be shocked to see me review this horror film. I am not a fan of the slasher horror movie genre. The only tip off I had regarding this movie was Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly) was the producer and one of the writers. With trepidation, I found an empty seat in the theater and prepared myself to be visually assaulted with blood and guts. The story started with five friends (comprised of your stereotypical jock, stoner dude, intellectual guy, grounded female and the party girl) who take a road trip to a remote cabin, for a mini vacation. At first I thought what an unoriginal premise; this was going to be one of those typical horror story setups. Not to give anything away, but I was so wrong about this movie. The script was smart, humorous with a splash of satire. I would not label this as strictly a horror film; instead, I would call it a hybrid of a science fiction horror movie. The story was wildly original and was finely executed (pun intended). Besides having Chris Hemsworth (Thor, Star Trek) in the cast, I felt Richard Jenkins (The Visitor, Let Me In) as Sitterson and Bradley Whitford (Kate & Leopold, The West Wing-TV) were perfect together. The best way to view this film would be to go in with as little information about it. I would even recommend you bypass the trailer below. Just remember its roots were in the horror genre, so there were gory bloody scenes.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Appaloosa
What is it about the western movie genre that attracts a loyal following? My maternal grandmother loved them and both my parents were big fans for years. I think it is because there is a no-nonsense purity to them. They depict a time in our history where everything seemed to have a direct cause and effect mindset. For these reasons, that is why this movie worked well on several levels. The story began straightforward enough about a town hiring law men partners Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch, played by Ed Harris (The Abyss, Pollock) and Viggo Mortensen ( A History of Violence, The Road) respectively, to protect itself from the menacing rancher Randall Brage, played by Jeremy Irons (Margin Call, Georgia O’Keefe). This was Mr. Harris’ project since he was director, actor and part of the writing team. He, along with Viggo’s fine acting, really made this movie worth watching; both were outstanding in their roles. In the hands of these two actors, the script was better than I thought it would have been with different actors. The two deputies found their job becoming complicated when Allison French, played by Renee Zellweger (Miss Potter, My One and Only) arrived in town. In spite of a few slow parts, I reckon this old fashioned western is worth renting, if nothing else to see the mighty fine acting.
2 3/4 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: The Three Stooges
What was it about the Three Stooges that I enjoyed as a child? Back then I laughed at the physical slapstick, the way they talked and the crazy predicaments they would always get into. As I watched this movie I had some of those old memories come back to me. Kudos to the Farrelly brothers, the directors, on capturing the look and feel of those episodes from my childhood. I was impressed with Chris Diamantopoulos (Wedding Daze, Under New Management), Sean Hayes (Will & Grace-TV, The Bucket List) and Will Sasso (Life as we Know it, Madtv-TV) as Moe, Larry and Curley. The three expertly handled the demanding physical comedy. Interestingly enough, I was a bit uncomfortable with the constant hair pulling, eye poking and other abusive acts. The scenes I preferred had more goofiness to them, such as the salmon scene or the different office door signs. Why this movie did not work well was due to having 3 different stories in it. I understood it was trying to keep the same episodic pacing as the old show, but in a movie it did not gel well. The Three Stooges trying to raise money to save their childhood orphanage was the more real story, in my opinion. Though I did laugh at some of the scenes in the Jersey Shore story line. For me, the hire for murder story did not belong in this movie. Just because this movie had nyuck, nyuck, nyuck and “why coitainly” in it, did not necessarily mean it was a great reboot of the stooges. If you see this movie, stay for the credits.
2 1/4 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Water Horse
With imagination one can create incredible experiences, where some will remain in fantasy and others will lead to a new reality. As for the creature known as the Water Horse; I fully accepted it as being real in this film. It was easy to do with this beautiful story which was accompanied by excellent CGI effects. I was very surprised how much I enjoyed this DVD. Angus MacMorrow, played by Alex Etel (From Time to Time, Millions) was a lonely Scottish boy living with his mother near the shores of Loch Ness. It was the 1940’s and his father was off to war. One day while out by the shore, Angus found an unusual rock. Taking it back home for further inspection, the young lad found it to be a curious puzzle. Confiding in their handyman Lewis Mowbray, played by Ben Chaplin (Me and Orson Wells, Ways to Live Forever), Mr. Mowbray explained the legend of the Water Horse to the curious boy. The trick, however, was whether Angus could keep everything a secret–even when English troops were setting up camp to defend the nearby waters from German submarines. An ideal movie for the entire family; I cannot imagine anyone not being charmed by this layered, enjoyable story.
2 3/4 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: The Deep Blue Sea
Only a particular group of people, I believe, would want to see this movie. If you always base your decisions on what your heart feels, even if you sense it may not be the best choice, then you will understand this film. I am the first to admit there have been times where I let my heart sway my actions; I still am an old fashioned romantic. It was easy for me to understand the main character Hester Collyer, incredibly played by Rachel Weisz (The Lovely Bones, The Constant Gardener). Feeling her marriage was not providing her with what she needed, Hester believed she could find passion with the dashing, jet fighter pilot Freddie Page, played by Tom Hiddleston (Thor, Midnight in Paris). The emotional roller coaster ride that Hester rode through this film was perfectly conveyed by Rachel’s acting. This was one of her best performances in my opinion. The movie had a dark, heaviness to it as if each character’s burdens grew heavier over time. Also, the film had an authentic 1950’s London appearance to it. There were no big exciting moments per se, there was drama as the movie moved at a slow pace. By the end of the film I felt drained; that same type of feeling I get when I realize my heart had me invested in a poor relationship.
2 2/3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Mongol
As time goes on, historical figures can take on mythical proportions. For me, one of those figures would be Genghis Khan. In my mind he has grown to this brutal, larger than life figure. How else could I have looked at him for what he had achieved back in the early years of the 1200’s? So with that mindset, I was taken aback by this massive undertaking of a movie that focused on his early years, when he was simply known as Temudjin. At the age of 10 he had promised his future bride he would return to her and he kept that promise. It really said something about his character for keeping that promise while becoming orphaned, pursued and enslaved. Considering this background, it only fueled my fascination for the man who was to become known as Genghis Khan. Played masterfully by Tadanobu Asano (Thor, Ichi the Killer) as the adult Genghis, one can say this film was also part love story. With his wife Borte, played by newcomer Khulan Chuluun, they formed a bond that would be the foundation to his formable drive in taking what he felt he deserved. Visually the movie was beautifully filmed with massive panoramic scenes and huge battles. There was violence and several bloody parts. I do not know how much of this story was true, but I did not care. As far as I was concerned I was seeing how a man of below modest means started on his path in life, to become one of the most famous people in history. Mongolian with English subtitles.
3 1/3 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Jiro Dreams of Sushi
After a friend became grossly ill from eating sushi some years ago, I stopped eating or thinking about the food. How surprised I was after viewing this documentary, I was not only hungry, but I had a new appreciation for this delicacy. It was amazing to see master sushi chef Jiro Ono talk about his life’s work on attempting to make the perfect piece of sushi. Now you may be thinking what the big deal was about this one individual, surely there were many chefs who wanted to create the best piece of sushi. The difference was 85 year old Jiro was the first sushi chef ever to obtain a 3 star rating from the Michelin guide. Mr Ono’s 10 seat restaurant was underground by a Toyko subway station; where reservations had to be made months in advance. I was intrigued by the single focus he had his entire life, to devote himself to creating sushi. With two sons in the business, Jiro tried to instill his strict work ethic into his sons, though he had no plans on retiring. The filming of this movie was simple with an easy flow to it. We were witnesses to every aspect of Jiro’s daily life; from fish market to preparation, all the way to how he serves his guests. I was fascinated by the entire process. Though it is unlikely I will start consuming sushi, I certainly will wonder how much thought went into those pieces the next time my friends order it. Japanese with English subtitles.
3 1/3 stars
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